Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

²This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people — even eating with them!

³So Jesus told them this story:

⁴“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

⁵And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.

⁶When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

⁷In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

⁸“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?

⁹And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’

¹⁰In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

¹¹To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.

¹²The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

¹⁴About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

¹⁵He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

¹⁶The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!

¹⁸I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,

¹⁹and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

²⁰“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

²¹His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’

²²“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.

²³And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,

²⁴for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

²⁵“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,

²⁶and he asked one of the servants what was going on.

²⁷‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

²⁸“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,

²⁹but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.

³⁰Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

³¹“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.

³²We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

¹Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.

²Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.

³And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.

⁴The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab,

⁵sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: “Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.

⁶Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”

⁷Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him.

⁸“Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

⁹That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”

¹⁰Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message:

¹¹‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’”

¹²But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”

¹³The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you.”

¹⁴So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

¹⁵Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.

¹⁶They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me.

¹⁷I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”

¹⁸But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God.

¹⁹But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me.”

²⁰That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”

²¹So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.

²²But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,

²³Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.

²⁴Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.

²⁵When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again.

²⁶Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.

²⁷This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.

²⁸Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.

²⁹“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”

³⁰“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.

³¹Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

³²“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the LORD demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.

³³Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”

³⁴Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”

³⁵But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.

³⁶When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.

³⁷“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”

³⁸Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”

³⁹Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,

⁴⁰where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

⁴¹The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.

¹Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.

²For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.

³Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.

⁴Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

⁵In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.

⁶Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

⁷For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves.

⁸If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

⁹Christ died and rose again for this very purpose — to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

¹⁰So why do you condemn another believer ? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

¹¹For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God. ’”

¹²Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

¹³So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

¹⁴I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.

¹⁵And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.

¹⁶Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

¹⁷For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

¹⁹So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

²⁰Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

²¹It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

²²You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.

²³But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

¹Then Job spoke again:

²“I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are!

³Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking?

⁴I could say the same things if you were in my place. I could spout off criticism and shake my head at you.

⁵But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief.

⁶Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.

⁷“O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family.

⁸As if to prove I have sinned, you’ve reduced me to skin and bones. My gaunt flesh testifies against me.

⁹God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes.

¹⁰People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me.

¹¹God has handed me over to sinners. He has tossed me into the hands of the wicked.

¹²“I was living quietly until he shattered me. He took me by the neck and broke me in pieces. Then he set me up as his target,

¹³and now his archers surround me. His arrows pierce me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood.

¹⁴Again and again he smashes against me, charging at me like a warrior.

¹⁵I wear burlap to show my grief. My pride lies in the dust.

¹⁶My eyes are red with weeping; dark shadows circle my eyes.

¹⁷Yet I have done no wrong, and my prayer is pure.

¹⁸“O earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf.

¹⁹Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high.

²⁰My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God.

²¹I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends.

²²For soon I must go down that road from which I will never return.

¹Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

²Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

³For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.

⁴I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.

⁵I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked.

⁶I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O LORD,

⁷singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.

⁸I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glorious presence dwells.

⁹Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers.

¹⁰Their hands are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes.

¹¹But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy.

¹²Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the LORD.

¹We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.

²People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.

³Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.

⁴The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

⁶Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the LORD, people avoid evil.

⁷When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them.

⁸Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.

⁹We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

¹⁰The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

¹¹The LORD demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.

¹²A king detests wrongdoing, for his rule is built on justice.

¹³The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.

¹⁴The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise will try to appease it.

¹⁵When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain.

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!

¹⁷The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful.

²¹The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

²²Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.

²³From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.

²⁴Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

²⁵There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

²⁶It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

²⁷Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.

²⁸A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.

²⁹Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path.

³⁰With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

³²Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

³³We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.

¹About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”

²“Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.” Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”

³Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.

⁴The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.

⁵When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.

⁶He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.

⁷Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.” His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”

⁸So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men. “I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”

⁹“Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”

¹⁰But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, “As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”

¹¹Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?” “Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

¹³“Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.

¹⁴“What does he look like?” Saul asked. “He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.

¹⁵“Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul. “Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?

¹⁷The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.

¹⁸The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.

¹⁹What’s more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”

²⁰Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.

²¹When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, “Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.

²²Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”

²³But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.

²⁵She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.

¹Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O Israel!

²This is what the LORD says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.

³Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.

⁴They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over.

⁵Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

⁶LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power.

⁷Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.

⁸People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!

⁹They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors.

¹⁰But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.

¹¹Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

¹²But the LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.

¹³When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.

¹⁴The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.

¹⁵Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

¹⁶But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

¹⁷Pack your bags and prepare to leave; the siege is about to begin.

¹⁸For this is what the LORD says: “Suddenly, I will fling out all you who live in this land. I will pour great troubles upon you, and at last you will feel my anger.”

¹⁹My wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must bear it.

²⁰My home is gone, and no one is left to help me rebuild it. My children have been taken away, and I will never see them again.

²¹The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the LORD. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered.

²²Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies as they roll down from the north. The towns of Judah will be destroyed and become a haunt for jackals.

²³I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.

²⁴So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

²⁵Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you — on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel ; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.

¹Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

²There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.

³Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.

⁴Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.

⁵And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

⁶But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads — I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”

⁷Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.

⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.

⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!

¹⁰For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”

¹¹So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

¹²But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.

¹³They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”

¹⁴But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case.

¹⁵But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.”

¹⁶And he threw them out of the courtroom.

¹⁷The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.

¹⁸Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

¹⁹They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews.

²⁰They asked him to stay longer, but he declined.

²¹As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

²²The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.

²³After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.

²⁴Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt.

²⁵He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism.

²⁶When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

²⁷Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed.

²⁸He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.